The Pact
By LadyDetia
Chapter 2
Around 8 AM that morning April and Casey got up to have some breakfast. April was still in her comfort mode wearing a pair of sweatpants and a very large sweater Casey referred to as 'the Cosby sweater' because of all the bright colors and crazy patterns. When April planned on spending most of the day indoors she didn't care about how her clothes looked as long as she was comfortable. She didn't present herself as looking untidy or lazy though. That would just be going too far in her mind. She was pregnant, not an invalid. She could still properly groom herself.
On her way to the kitchen she heard music playing accompanied by the sound of rhythmic breathing. She spotted Venus on the floor doing crunches while her Shell Cell sat on the coffee table. It was open and had a pair of small speakers attached to it. April smirked to herself as she thought how long it must have taken the others (especially Mikey) to convince Donatello to add such a feature to the device. Donnie usually chose function over fun when it came to such devices, so April was a bit caught off guard.
She was startled by Casey hugging her from behind and rubbing her belly before he pushed past her into the kitchen.
"Morning, ladies! What's it gonna be for breakfast? I'm in the mood for Cream of Wheat, scrambled eggs, and bacon. How about you, babe?"
"Sounds good to me, Case," April replied with genuine gratitude. She appreciated it when Casey would cook breakfast for them so she could stay off of her swollen feet as much as possible. "How about you, Venus?"
The female Turtle stopped mid crunch to look in the general direction of the kitchen.
"Some fresh fruit will suffice. Many thanks, April and Casey," Venus called back before resuming her exercise. Casey cocked an eyebrow at how Venus could pause mid-crunch like that, comparing her abdominal strength to She Hulk. He remembered Leonardo telling him how Venus would sometimes hold the position for 5 minutes straight, which was incredible in Casey's mind. He also noticed how Leo would have this look of admiration in his eyes anytime he spoke about Venus. Leonardo never came out and said he was in love with her, but Casey could tell.
After a hearty breakfast Casey worked off a little steam himself on the treadmill in the far corner of the living room. He then took a shower and laid down for a nap before leaving for work. He worked the evening shift for a security company, and he was scheduled two twelve hour shifts for the next two days. From 2 PM to 2 AM April would have been alone at the house if not for Venus staying. April was really glad that she wouldn't be cooped up in the house all by herself. Venus was grateful to have some time away from the boys so she could get her thoughts together about her personal troubles. Being around them could get so distracting at times, especially around Leonardo. Something about him made her feel nervous and self-conscious.
Venus and April were able to share some of what Raphael referred to as 'girly time' during their morning workout. April took it slow and easy on her large plastic exercise ball while Venus did some simple stretching.
"So, April, how is your health these days?" the turtle inquired as she executed an elegant leg stretch.
"Pretty good. Sticking to the diet was tricky at first, but I got used to it. I'm glad my doctor said it was alright to indulge my cravings. Just have to make sure I do so in moderation."
"I see…" After Venus finished her stretches she walked behind April and placed her hands on her shoulders. She slowly began to knead the human's tense muscles causing April to sigh and relax her head against Venus' plastron. This gave the mutant turtle a better view of April's presently altered form. Venus had been fascinated by April's pregnancy since the day she and Casey announced the news to them months ago. "Ah…April, what does it…feel like?" April tilted her head up to look at Venus, wondering what she meant.
"What does what feel like, honey?"
"Umm…being pregnant."
"Oh! Well, at times I felt a bit nauseous, others uncomfortable, but I've also felt excited, especially when I first felt the baby move. Overall I feel…extremely happy." April observed Venus' expression to get any indication that what she was saying was making any sense. "Why do you ask?" A part of April was hoping she wasn't going to tell her she was expecting too. That would lead to a whole lot of questions.
"Um…well, I was just curious." Venus paused her massage when April sat up straight and swiveled around on her ball.
"Is there something going on that I should know about, Venus?"
"No ma'am. What makes you say that?"
"You've been acting kind of strange lately." Venus gave a nervous gulp. Could April really see through her cover?
"Well, I…you see…" She stumbled over her words, unable to complete a thought. April rested a hand on the nervous turtle's arm shaking her head.
"Are you hinting that you think you and Leo might be ready to take things to the next level?" Venus' eyes widened with shock. She was caught off guard by April's forwardness.
"No! No, not exactly. Then again…" April was close but not that close.
"Listen, honey, from the way you're acting I can tell you're not ready so why don't you just relax and give it some more time, okay? You're not getting pressure to move too fast are you?"
"Absolutely not! In fact…well, things have not been moving at all as of late," Venus muttered, her voice dripping with disappointment. April tried not to look too relieved to hear that. She cared for all the Turtles, for they were indeed part of her family. However she was not their mother and pretty much had no say in their intimate lives. She was honored that Venus felt the need to open up to her about such issues, even if she wasn't completely open yet.
"Look, honey, why don't you talk to him about it when you go back to the Lair. If you need any advice you know I'm here for you. Just don't stress yourself out about it too much, ok?"
April patted Venus' hand in a motherly fashion as the female terrapin looked as if the weight of the world was removed from her carapace. Mei Pieh Chi was so glad she had a mature adult female to open up to. At the same time she wasn't sure April was ready to hear what was really on her mind. She was about to find out.
Venus de Milo rolled April's extra exercise ball in front of her human friend and sat down. She glanced at the hardwood floor before looking April in the eye with the most serious expression the woman had ever seen on the young turtle's face.
"April, I must be honest with you about what is truly troubling me. I ask right now that you just listen." As Venus began to voice her concern April's eyes grew wider and wider with shock. The more she heard the less she knew what to say to the younger female. By the time Venus finished her explanation April was utterly speechless. "I understand if you have reservations about my thoughts, April, but I believe this must be done for the benefit of us Turtles. I just needed your listening ear before I tell the boys about this. The thing is that you have known them longer than I have so I was hoping you would have an idea how they might react to such a thing." Venus watched as Aprils mouth moved but not a sound emerged from her lips. After a few moments the pregnant woman was able to speak…somewhat.
"Venus, what you're suggesting…it's…oh my god, I don't know what…I don't even know how to take this so I surely don't know how they'll react! It sounds so…so…"
"Sordid? Shameful? Disgusting?"
"No, no! It's…well for one thing it's unexpected! What made you think of such a thing?" Venus really didn't want to get into the details that lead to her troubling conclusion. She bowed her head in shame because of April's negative response. "Oh, Honey, don't look like that. It's ok. You don't have to feel bad because of me. Who am I to judge? You're just looking out for your family. It's just that your…proposed method took me by surprise. When it comes down to it you really don't need my approval. I think you should discuss it with the boys and see what they think. I suggest you wait until things calm down a bit though. We're all in mourning right now so give it a little time before springing this on them."
"I suppose you are right, April. Thank you for the sound advice." With a nervous laugh April rubbed her temples as if she felt a headache coming on.
"No problem, V. Now how about a little Dr. Phil and a nice hot cup of tea?"
"That sounds delightful!" Venus clapped her hands together while flashing a cheerful smile to hide her nervousness. She realized she had two days to figure out how to discuss this issue with the others. She dreaded their reaction, especially Leonardo's.
"Ah well, it must be done so I might as well get it over with," she sighed inwardly as she went to the kitchen to brew her and April's tea.
*Next Chapter: Venus comes home to a bit of chaos. Family dynamics are realigned. Venus voices her concerns to the other Turtles.
